Thrissur (Kerala): Acclaimed actress and dancer Rima Kallingal has completed her formal debut (Arangettam) in the traditional art of chenda melam. Rima performed the Panchari Melam on Sunday at the Black Box Theatre inside the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in Thrissur. Members of her dance school, the Mamangam Dance Academy, also made their debut alongside the artist.

Visuals showcasing the Chenda training sessions and the subsequent Panchari Melam performance by Rima and her troupe have fast gone viral on social media. A multitude of well-wishers, including prominent actress Manju Warrier, flooded the comments section of the video to praise and congratulate the team.

Rima and her academy members trained under the guidance of the renowned percussion artist Vivek Kanimangalam. The intensive chenda training was undertaken as an integral component of 'Vattam', a brand-new dance production by the Mamangam Academy. The experimental 'Vattam' performance is scheduled to make its international debut in Moscow, Russia.